The first day of the month is Grocery Day. I love going to the grocery store. It's almost like going clothes shopping except it's affordable and it doesn't make me feel fat, usually. We are lucky to have so many products to choose from, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. If I'm not careful I could leave with a cart full of processed foods that will eventually make me feel fat. So I come to the store armed with a list of essentials and I give myself a little leeway to take home some fun finds. They also sell magazines, beauty products and kitchen gadgets too, so often I will forego the high calorie treats for something more functional.
Last month I bought a bell pepper saver. It is a plastic container in the shape of a bell pepper that holds the unused parts in the fridge. I love it because I'm not throwing out endless sandwich baggies and, thanks to the obnoxious shape and size, it also helps me remember that I have pepper to use before it goes bad. I also have one in the shape of an onion. Don't laugh at me, but next time I'm getting one in the shape of a tomato.
Grocery shopping can also make me feel guilty. I look at all of those rows of prepackaged foods, the bright lights and refrigeration units and I think there is another store just like this down the block and that's just one neighborhood in one city in one state in one country...you get the picture. Meanwhile there are children starving in India. I know this because as a child my mother used to give money to those charities that send you pictures of the starving children. She would take these pictures and put them up on a bulletin board, in the kitchen. That pretty much solidified my lifetime habit of cleaning my plate. Thanks Norma.
Sorry, tangent, so while grocery shopping I keep myself in check by thinking about cooking as opposed to eating. I picture the dishes I will make with each ingredient, this also stops me from buying things I will never use. It ensures that I actually purchase food that the sum of which equals a meal. Otherwise I will come home with a random assortment of things that will require creativity on a daily basis, this can make cooking three squares a day very unappealing.
Also, I like to buy different food items that together create a theme. For instance, if I'm feeling a box of Couscous then I make sure to pick up some Hummus (or garbanzos so I can make it), olives, feta cheese, pita bread and so on. That way I've got a meal plan and things that can do double duty (lunch and dinner). It doesn't have to be ethnic either, be creative.
Finally, to recap when grocery shopping make sure to a) bring a list b) give yourself a treat c) think about cooking, not eating and d) create themes. Hopefully this will help your grocer trips be more successful and less stressful. Oh and if you come across an onion, bell pepper or tomato saver get it!
-Natasha
Last month I bought a bell pepper saver. It is a plastic container in the shape of a bell pepper that holds the unused parts in the fridge. I love it because I'm not throwing out endless sandwich baggies and, thanks to the obnoxious shape and size, it also helps me remember that I have pepper to use before it goes bad. I also have one in the shape of an onion. Don't laugh at me, but next time I'm getting one in the shape of a tomato.
Grocery shopping can also make me feel guilty. I look at all of those rows of prepackaged foods, the bright lights and refrigeration units and I think there is another store just like this down the block and that's just one neighborhood in one city in one state in one country...you get the picture. Meanwhile there are children starving in India. I know this because as a child my mother used to give money to those charities that send you pictures of the starving children. She would take these pictures and put them up on a bulletin board, in the kitchen. That pretty much solidified my lifetime habit of cleaning my plate. Thanks Norma.
Sorry, tangent, so while grocery shopping I keep myself in check by thinking about cooking as opposed to eating. I picture the dishes I will make with each ingredient, this also stops me from buying things I will never use. It ensures that I actually purchase food that the sum of which equals a meal. Otherwise I will come home with a random assortment of things that will require creativity on a daily basis, this can make cooking three squares a day very unappealing.
Also, I like to buy different food items that together create a theme. For instance, if I'm feeling a box of Couscous then I make sure to pick up some Hummus (or garbanzos so I can make it), olives, feta cheese, pita bread and so on. That way I've got a meal plan and things that can do double duty (lunch and dinner). It doesn't have to be ethnic either, be creative.
Finally, to recap when grocery shopping make sure to a) bring a list b) give yourself a treat c) think about cooking, not eating and d) create themes. Hopefully this will help your grocer trips be more successful and less stressful. Oh and if you come across an onion, bell pepper or tomato saver get it!
-Natasha
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